A century-old classic of British letters that charmed and fascinated generations of readers with its witty satire of Victorian society and its unique insights, by analogy, into the fourth dimension.

Review&colon;

Unless you're a mathematician, the chances of you reading any novels about geometry are probably slender. But if you read only two in your life, these are the ones. Taken together, they form a couple of accessible and charming explanations of geometry and physics for the curious non-mathematician. Flatland, which is also available under separate cover, was published in 1880 and imagines a two-dimensional world inhabited by sentient geometric shapes who think their planar world is all there is. But one Flatlander, a Square, discovers the existence of a third dimension and the limits of his world's assumptions about reality and comes to understand the confusing problem of higher dimensions. The book is also quite a funny satire on society and class distinctions of Victorian England. The further mathematical fantasy, Sphereland, published 60 years later, revisits the world of Flatland in time to explore the mind-bending theories created by Albert Einstein, whose work so completely altered the scientific understanding of space, time, and matter. Among Einstein's many challenges to common sense were the ideas of curved space, an expanding universe and the fact that light does not travel in a straight line. Without use of the mathematical formulae that bar most non-scientists from an understanding of Einstein's theories, Sphereland gives lay readers ways to start comprehending these confusing but fundamental questions of our reality.

About the Author&colon;

Edwin Abbott Abbott (1838-1926) has been ranked as one of the leading scholars and theologians of the Victorian era. He received highest honors in mathematics, classics, and theology at St. John's College, Cambridge, and in 1862 began a brilliant career, during which he served as schoolmaster of some of England's outstanding schools. At the same time he distinguished himself as a scholar, and in 1889 he retired to his studies. Although Flatland, a literary jeu d'esprit, has given pleasure to thousands of readers over many generations, Abbott is best known for his scholarly works, especially his Shakespearian Grammar and his life of Francis Bacon, and for a number of theological discussions.

Book Description:HarperCollins Publishers Inc, United States, 1994. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 202 x 134 mm. Language: English Brand New Book. A century-old classic of British letters that charmed and fascinated generations of readers with its witty satire of Victorian society and its unique insights, by analogy, into the fourth dimension. Bookseller Inventory # AAS9780062732767

Book Description:HarperCollins Publishers Inc, United States, 1994. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 202 x 134 mm. Language: English Brand New Book. A century-old classic of British letters that charmed and fascinated generations of readers with its witty satire of Victorian society and its unique insights, by analogy, into the fourth dimension. Bookseller Inventory # AAS9780062732767

Book Description:HarperCollins, 1994. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 13.34 x 20.32 cm. In the first work, A. Square meets a tragic fate when he dares to inform the inhabitants of his two-dimensional universe that there is a third and fourth dimension, and in the second work, an inhabitant of a two-dimensional world discovers curved surfaces. Our orders are sent from our warehouse locally or directly from our international distributors to allow us to offer you the best possible price and delivery time. Book. Bookseller Inventory # MM-20019858

Book Description:1994. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 1st. 140mm x 21mm x 198mm. Paperback. A century-old classic of British letters that charmed and fascinated generations of readers with its witty satire of Victorian society and its unique insights, by analogy, into the fourth dimension.Shipping may be from our UK, US or Australian warehouse depending on stock availability. 352 pages. 0.272. Bookseller Inventory # 9780062732767